City Directories and History: Inman – Henry Gannet’s The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States (1905) states that Inman is named “for a resident family.” (A copy of this book was lent to me by Mr. Wright Nash. It is interesting both for what it says and what it does not say about Spartanburg County towns.) Mr. Gannett, however, seems to have been in error. I am indebted to Mr. Brent Golightly of the Inman area for the following facts. Others have corroborated his story. It seems that in 1884 Inman was a nameless settlement along the route of the proposed branch of the Southern Railroad across the mountains. Apparently, there was more than one possible route the railroad could take in this area. According to rather well authenticated legend, the surveyor was told that if the line ran through what is now Inman, the citizens would name the town after him. The surveyors name was Inman. The town received its charter in 1910, and, according to the charter, cannot be united to Inman Mills (across the highway) for 99 years. The reason for that curious proviso is no doubt an interesting one.
(Information from: Names in South Carolina by C.H. Neuffer, Published by the S.C. Dept. of English, USC)
The Rock Hill Herald reported on Nov. 24, 1900 on mills in Spartanburg Co., S.C. “The Spartan and Whitney mills have declared dividends a number of northern capitalists attended the annual meeting, including Mr. Seth M. Milliken of NY, Mr. Stephen Greene of Boston, and Mr. Sampson of Boston. The annual meeting of the Lockhart Mill was also held Tuesday. There will be a $200,000. cotton mill built at Inman, located on the Charleston and Western Carolina Railroad. Mr. James A. Chapman, a Spartanburg lawyer, will be Pres. and Treasurer.”
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